Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is David Rio?A: The company's founders are David and Rio, a husband and wife team, so we used their first names for the company. Read more about them here.

Q: Why is David Rio chai named after animals?A: David Rio chai is named after animals that are either in need of conservation or are considered endangered. We love and support animal organizations such as Cat Tales (an endangered species rescue organization), the San Mateo Peninsula Humane Society (a fabulous humane society with an open door policy to accept any and all animals), and Amazing Greys - Retired Racers (a group that helps adopt greyhounds after their racing days are over). See more about the animal welfare groups we support here.

Q: Where can I find David Rio chai in my local area?A: David Rio is a premier brand and can be found at many of your favorite local specialty markets. You can also visit our store locator page to find a store near you. If your favorite store does not already carry David Rio chai, please ask them to stock it. They can call 1-800-454-9605 to get information and samples. If the store begins stocking David Rio chai, we will send you a selection of David Rio products as a thank you. We always prefer that you support local businesses and buy David Rio products from them. In the meantime, please call us at 1-800-454-9605 to order or simply order online.

Q: Does David Rio ship to Canada?A: No. David Rio can only ship within the U.S. including Hawaii and Alaska. If you are an international customer, please visit our international page to find a distributor closest to you. For more information on our shipping policies, please click here.

Q: When will my order arrive?A: We ship via UPS Ground or US Postal Service within 24-48 hours of receipt of your order, Monday through Thursday. The estimated transit time to the East Coast may be 3-4 business days, and to the West Coast, 5-6 business days but is not guaranteed. There is no signature required, so if you are expecting a package from us, please make the necessary arrangements to receive the package. Please note that UPS Ground does not count the day the order is shipped or weekends or holidays as delivery days. As an example, if you order from New York City on Friday the 1st, you should expect your order to arrive around Tuesday the 12th. See our shipping policy here.

Q: How many David Rio chai varieties are there?A: Within the endangered species line, there are a total of eight varieties: Elephant Vanilla, Tiger Spice Chai®, Giraffe Decaf, Toucan Mango, Orca Spice (sugar free), Flamingo Vanilla Decaf (sugar-free),Tortoise Green Tea and our Maple Moose Chai. There is also the Power Chai® which is completely dairy-free.

Q: Which David Rio chai is the most popular?A: Our Tiger Spice Chai® is our most popular, followed by the Orca Spice sugar-free and Elephant Vanilla.

Q: How do I prepare David Rio chai?A: For a traditional chai, just add hot water, milk or milk substitute, stir and enjoy! For more info on how to prepare hot and cold versions of David Rio chai, download our recipe page.

Q: How much caffeine is in chai?A: Caffeine content depends on a number of variables, but as a rule of thumb, a black tea chai contains between 20-40 milligrams per 7 ounce cup. For sake of comparison, the same size cup of coffee contains about 55-145 milligrams of caffeine. See more comparisons here.

Q: How many calories are in a cup of David Rio chai?A: Our sugar-free chai varieties have 65 calories per serving, and our other chai varieties range from 74-140 calories per serving.

Q: Is there a sugar-free chai available?A: Yes. Orca Spice and Flamingo Vanilla are both sugar-free. They both contain Splenda® as a sugar substitute and the Flamingo Vanilla is also decaffeinated.

Q: What is Splenda®?A: Splenda® is a sucralose based, no-calorie artificial sweetener.

Q: Is David Rio chai non-dairy?A: Yes. We use a premium non-dairy creamer as a milk substitute. The non-dairy creamer does contain sodium caseinate, a milk derivative. However, it is considered a non-dairy product. We have one variety of chai that is completely dairy-free, the Power Chai®.

Q: Are David Rio products gluten-free? Are they free of hydrogenated or trans fats?A: Yes. All of David Rio products are gluten, hydrogenated and trans fat-free.

Q: Are David Rio products Kosher?
A: Yes. All of David Rio products are certified Kosher.